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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left contributed by Don
McGrogan, BMCS, USN
(ret.) on right by Mike Smolinski

Photo & text courtesy of James P. Marion, III. The contributors' father was James P. Marion, Jr, who was an officer on the boat, as was his father-in-law, Sidney E. Henderson. Both of them were with the Cobia from the time of its commissioning in March of 1943 through all six of the her war patrols, the last of which ended on 22 August 1945.

Damage to conning tower from Japanese cannon fire after attack where crew member Ralph Huston was killed by enemy fire.

Photo courtesy of James P. Marion, III.

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Cobia (SS-245), underway, circa 1944-45.

Photo courtesy of Lester Palifka.

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Cobia's (SS-245) officers LT William Henry, Lt James P Marion, and Lt Joseph Sibley on deck during fifth war patrol. It was Henry who fortunately spotted the downed B-24 fliers rescued by the Cobia.

Photo courtesy of James P. Marion, III.

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Five photo PDF taken during the rescue of the crew of a 13th Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber that was shot up over Saigon and ditched into the ocean on 8 April 1945. The Cobia (SS-245) happened to be on the scene by sheer good fortune and rescued seven crew members of the bomber.
1) Pulling B-24 crew member from life raft.
2) B-24 crew rescue. "Doc" Starmer is stepping over the rail in foreground.
3) Pulling in B-24 crew member Rocky Clift.
4) Pulling in B-24 crew member Jean Vandruff.
5) Photo of the rescue of B-24 pilot, Captain Richard Benson by Lt James P. Marion of the Cobia. Benson was hiding under the raft with a knife thinking that the Cobia was a Japanese sub. The Cobia crew were on the verge of sinking the raft with a machine gun, when Marion jumped in the water and swam to the raft to double check. He yelled something about the Brooklyn Dodgers ay which point Benson realized it was an American sub.

This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Govenor of Western Australia to commemeorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarined that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II.

Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves.Photo added 02/06/16.

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Battleflag of the Cobia (SS-245), at the end of WW II.

Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.

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Cobia's (SS-245) crew members on deck, 1945. This photo was likely taken on the Cobia's return to New London at the end of the War.

Photo courtesy of James P. Marion, III.

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Line up of decommissioned subs at Groton, CT., circa 1947. From left to right:Archerfish (SS-311), Flasher (SS-249), Cobia (SS-245), Croaker (SS-246), Drum (SS-228) & what looks like the Cavalla (SS-244).

Lots of children dream of participating in the launching of a real submarine. Some times that wish becomes true. John Robison is the 10 year old that is standing third from the rear of the conning tower as the T-1 (SST-1) floats on the Thames River at Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT., 17 July 1953. The fleet boat in the background is the Cobia (SS-245).

December 1953 photo of four boats, among them the Cobia (SS-245), outboard, unidentified boat, the Trout (SS-566) and another unidentified boat tied up alongside the submarine tender Fulton (AS-11) during her role as the tender for Submarine Squadron TEN at New London, Connecticut.

The Cobia (SS-245), is shown very shortly after it arrived in Manitowoc in its original berth on the south side of the river upon its rearrivial in 1971 as a museum ship at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI.